Detours Podcast: Women of the 2026 Highland Trail 550

Launched a few years ago, Detours is a podcast hosted by ultra-endurance and adventure cyclist Mel Webb. It’s all about celebrating the journey—and the detours along the way—as much as the destination. Mel has published well over 80 episodes so far, but one series we’re always excited to see is the roundup of women participating in various bikepacking events and races around the world. Mel’s goal with the series is to encourage more women to line up at the start line of events like these.

Because of Alan Goldsmith, the HT550’s organizer and route creator, the 2026 Highland Trail 550 has a 50/50 gender split for the first time. Bikepacking events are notoriously dominated by men, so not only is this a huge milestone for the Scotland-based event, but it also hopefully encourages other event organizers to put in the work to diversify grand departs. The most recent Detours episode shares stories from some of the women currently riding, including their journeys to the start line and what they hope to get out of the ride. Listen below:

Check out the 2026 HT550 Tracker page to follow along on the live tracking map, find our Rigs of the HT550 roundup, and stay tuned in for more event coverage. Find it here.

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